According to the UK's National Health Service, "Athlete’s foot is very contagious and can be spread through direct and indirect contact."[24] The disease may spread to others directly when they touch the infection. People can contract the disease indirectly by coming into contact with contaminated items (clothes, towels, etc.) or surfaces (such as bathroom, shower, or locker room floors). The fungi that cause athlete's foot can easily spread to one's environment. Fungi rub off of fingers and bare feet, but also travel on the dead skin cells that continually fall off the body. Athlete's foot fungi and infested skin particles and flakes may spread to socks, shoes, clothes, to other people, pets (via petting), bed sheets, bathtubs, showers, sinks, counters, towels, rugs, floors, and carpets.
All high heels boost the risk of an ankle sprain. The most common problem is a lateral sprain, which happens when you roll onto the outside of the foot. This stretches the ankle ligaments beyond their normal length. A severe sprain may tear the ligaments. A sprained ankle should be immobilized and may need physical therapy to heal properly. The risk of developing osteoarthritis rises with a severe sprain or fracture of the ankle.
Baking soda has the ability to dry up the excess moisture on your toes, and it will help neutralize foot odor and act as a toenail fungus treatment. Create a paste using baking soda and water and apply it to the toenail. Let it soak for 10 minutes and then rinse off. You can also create a foot bath by mixing a bucket of water with baking soda and letting your entire foot soak. Check out these other effective home remedies for smelly feet.
Creams and other topical medications have traditionally been less effective against nail fungus than oral medications. This is because nails are too hard for external applications to penetrate. It is also cumbersome to adhere to topical medication regimens. Oftentimes, these medications require daily applications for a period of time up to one year to see results. One of the major advantages of topical treatment is the minimal risk for serious side effects and drug interactions compared to oral therapy.
I fully believe in natural remedies as well as safe, pharmaceutical ones. I have all of the ingredients and essential oils necessary to make my own potions, but as a busy, working Mom I chose the easy route of purchasing the potion already made up. I used this religiously for over a month. I cleaned and trimmed my affected 4 toenails constantly through the process. I saw absolutely no results. Yes, the painted on 2nd step does temporarily improve the appearance of the nail instantly, but that's because of the glossy sheen. Any oil will do that. Once soaked in, my nail looked and remained the same. Perhaps my failure was a result of dipping the brush I used on my infected toes and back into the bottle repeated times. Doesn't that seem counter productive given a fast-spreading fungus? They're slowly growing out but the fungus remains in the grow out and my nails are still thin and fragile. I would have given this product one more star with a pat on the back and a "nice try" but the huge number of immediate, 5-star reviews left me with the instant feeling of being mislead. I may have even given it more time with more realistic reviews.
Over-the-counter toenail fungus treatments can cure existing infections, but only products which include 1% Tolnaftate can prevent a recurrence of the condition. Tolnaftate is the only ingredient approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of fungal infections. Treating toe nail area fungus is only part of the solution. Preventing further outbreaks using a product with 1% Tolnaftate will keep you looking and feeling your best.
Not all cases of OM require treatment with medication but if your doctor has confirmed you have OM and require treatment, they may prescribe an oral antifungal medication (terbinafine, itraconazole*) based on the type of fungus causing the infection. If you are unable to take oral antifungals or have a mild-to-moderate case of OM, your doctor may opt for a topical therapy (ciclopirox, efinaconazole*) that is applied to the affected nail(s) directly.
Wei, Y.-X., Xu, X.-Y., Xu, & Song, X. (2017). A review of antifungal natural products against the pathogenic fungi causing athletes' foot disease. Current Organic Chemistry, 21, 1–13. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Xun_Song/publication/319128408_A_Review_of_Antifungal_Natural_Products_Against_the_Pathogenic_Fungi_Causing_Athletes'_Foot_Disease/links/59931c65458515c0ce61efa1/A-Review-of-Antifungal-Natural-Products-Against-the-Pathogenic-Fungi-Causing-Athletes-Foot-Disease.pdf
Yeast onychomycosis: This type is caused by a yeast called Candida and not by the Trichophyton fungus named above. It is more common in fingernails and is a common cause of fungal fingernails. Patients may have associated paronychia (infection of the cuticle). Candida can cause yellow, brown, white, or thickened nails. Some people who have this infection also have yeast in their mouth or have a chronic paronychia (see above) that is also infected with yeast.
Onychomycosis (toenail fungus) is an infection of the nail and sometimes surrounding tissue. It is extremely common with 20 percent of the general population and 75 percent of people over 60 years old affected. Frequently the problem causes cosmetic concerns, but many patients also experience pain. Sometimes toenail fungus can allow more serious infections to develop.
Your physician may perform a simple test called a potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation for microscopic fungal examination in the office or laboratory. This test can be used to confirm the presence of a fungal infection. This test is performed by using a microscope to examine small flakes of skin from the rash. Many dermatologists perform this test in their office with results available within minutes. Rarely, a small piece of skin may be removed and sent for biopsy or fungal culture to help confirm the diagnosis.
​The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) offers information on this site as an educational service. The content of FootCareMD, including text, images and graphics, is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnoses or treatments. If you need medical advice, use the "Find an Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon" tool at the top of this page or contact your primary doctor.

Infected nails are usually thicker than normal and could be warped or oddly shaped. They can break easily. Nails with fungus might look yellow. Sometimes a white dot shows up on the nail and then gets bigger. When fungus builds up under your nail, it can loosen and even separate the nail from the bed. The fungus can also spread to the skin around your nail.